Special Feature — Live at iLandscape
Mark Dwyer Talks About —
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0 2 Landscape 1 The i llinois + wi2 sconsin C T Show
Shrubs that Dazzle
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A look at new varieties that offer flower power and outstanding performance Nina A. Koziol
Shrubs are the workhorses of
residential landscapes and breeders have been busy creating new cultivars with very desirable traits — more flowers, longer bloom time, better fall color and compact forms. Mark Dwyer shared his favorites — old and new — at this year’s virtual iLandscape. He owns and operates Landscape Prescriptions by MD, a landscape design and consultation business in Janesville, WI. “I wish we had about three hours to talk abut shrubs,” Dwyer said. “Shrubs really should be integrated into all our beds and borders. The compact version of many of these plants provides all the attributes but in a smaller package. Expanding our palette as landscapers and
designers is vital. It equates to a dynamic landscape and more business for us. I’m excited to see so many new introductions that have wide applicability and use in our projects.”
eration. The form and ultimate size is important. We shoe-horn a lot of plants into a drawing and the crowding issues become immediate.”
Hugging the House
Aronia melanocarpa
“We use shrubs to soften the foundation and stay under windows, but we should go beyond that. Consider them as a compositional tool but be aware of their eventual size.” Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus ‘Diablo’) is an example of a shrub that can smother the corner of a house if not given the proper space. “I love it for its foliage and arcing form, but the real estate it takes up is immense and you have to take that into consid-
Aronia melanocarpa Low Scape Mound™ 20
The Landscape Contractor July 2021
Low Scape Mound™
“Shrubs should have multiple seasons of interest. This one is 14 to 16 inches tall and shade.” Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Plants have a wide range of soil tolerance including boggy soils. Best fruit production usually occurs in full sun. The plant can sucker, reaching a 3 to 4 foot spread.
